Before We Leave Reviews
Cute little city-builder with big ambitions and even bigger cosmic cetaceans.
Eschewing combat takes away some of the ethical dilemmas that are part of 4x and city builder games. You can even play Before We Leave without any threats at all, making it a very chill experience that’s focused entirely on puttering around and building. Without combat or threats, however, Before We Leave is forced to really lean into its aesthetic and mechanics. The result is a little vanilla and a bit repetitive over the long term. It’s a bit like decaf coffee. It’ll do, but you’re gonna miss the kick.
Space whales! Before We Leave brings us space whales! And along with them, a polished city builder which takes known tenets of the genre to forge its own direction. Repetitive assets are a minor flaw in an overall extremely enjoyable experience with a lot to do even in absence of a real game over.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Gamers will easily be able to sink hours into Before We Leave, from conquering new islands to finally getting off the planet. It’s just hard to get past, that while launched, the current game state feels more like the end half of a Beta.
Before We Leave promises to be "gentle" and "relaxing" city-building game, and it is until you reach its game-breaking bugs. I guess you can't expect the post-apocalypse to be all fun all the time.
In a pleasant change from most RTS games, Before We Leave makes a point of being a non-violent city builder.
Before We Leave is a non-violent 4X strategy game that is perfect for newcomers, but its lack of challenge and overly simplified mechanics will leave genre veterans bored.
Before We Leave is a great, relaxed simulation, but feels like it may be missing a few things
It is a combination of having limited real estate to display a lot of information, and then picking all the wrong information to show in that space. When you're not wrestling with it, the actual moment-to-moment gameplay is very satisfying. It looks sharp and sounds fantastic. There are some hurdles to make it over, but it is hard to deny the underlying charm of Before We Leave.
Before We Leave is a relaxing and colorful city builder that is fun for a few hours but starts to grow a bit repetitive in the long term. The focus on just building your civilization without dealing with threats is something I quite enjoyed but the game needed a bit more variety in the late game as I felt like I had seen all it had to show me by that time. Fans of the genre who seek more depth in their city builders may want to look elsewhere but if you want one that is just a bit more chill then Before We Leave may be for you.
Usually you won't play a strategy game to distract your mind or have a quiet enjoyment, but Before We Leave does exactly that. If you want to plant and plant potatoes and tea at your own pace, and travel around the planet, I think you should have a look.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
Hexagon non-violent city building strategy offers much more as it seems. Find your new home in stars and reveal big space mystery.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Before We Leave is a relaxing take on the post-apocalypse and city building, with enough benefits to overcome its hiccups.
In a world where life moves at a million miles an hour, everyone needs some downtime. Whether that be going for a leisurely jog around the block or staying in to enjoy some escapism through the latest Nintendo release. Gaming has been a part of our lives for a very long time (1972 specifically) and has been used as a tool to escape the harsh reality of modern-day life. We are lucky that we have such a wide variety of games available to choose from. One of the most popular genres is simulation.
Smart strategic city-building and a pro-environment vibe help this sim stand out as something enjoyable
Before We Leave is a comforting and accessible city building simulator that will entice and equally challenge you. The momentum occasionally stutters and micro-managing your ever-expanding cities can be a pain at times, but your Peeps will never cease to entice you back in. Helping this fledging society of tiny cute figures colonise islands and planets from neanderthal to fully-developed modern society is a fundamentally lovely experience. Saving them from space whales is certainly tough, but it’s also a wholesome, worthwhile endeavour.
Before We Leave is never suitable for professional gamers who want excitement, but it is a good experience for those who are new to City Building games and want a little peace.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Overall Before We Leave is somewhat of a middle-of-the-road city builder with some lovely concepts and a relaxing vibe. It doesn’t nail everything it tries, but overall it’s an enjoyable experience. The non-combat approach could’ve been executed better at times, with more challenges thrown at the player. Meanwhile, the small hexagon islands can be enjoyable for people who like some puzzles in their city builders, while for others they could feel a little limiting. Before We Leave is a cute, polished city builder perfect for when you’re in the mood for something relaxing and less challenging, with the looks to back it up.
I had a wonderfully pleasant time playing Before We Leave. While consoles may never be ideal for simulation titles, if I’m going to check one out with a controller, this is exactly the version I’m looking for. A few performance issues and a lack of variety may make this a game to be enjoyed briefly, but the cozy vibe it gives off feels just right. Grab a nice cup of tea, wrap yourself up in a warm blanket, and enjoy.
Before We Leave is a great debut offering from Balancing Money Games. It takes the common post-apocalyptic tropes associated with RTS games and adds a unique mix of 4X gameplay to its fold. The result is a moderately fun and interesting title focussed more on the idyllic notion of civilisation advancement over the high stakes gameplay normally associated with titles in this genre. As such, it is a high accessibility title with fairly low stakes gameplay; which may be off putting to some RTS purists. Even so, the overall experience is enjoyable and certainly worth trying.